Convertible car



. PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

H. S. WILSON.

CONVERTIBLE GAR.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 15. 1903.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

R0 MODEL.

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No. 751,126. PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904.

H. S. WILSON. CONVERTIBLE CAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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H. S. WILSON.

CONVERTIBLE GAR.

APPLICATION FILED APB 15. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

WWW-15555 UNITED STATES Patented February 2, 1904.

HOWARD S. WHJSON, OF PUEBLA, MEXICO.

CONVERTIBLE CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,126, dated February2, 1904;.

Application filed April 15, 1903. Serial No. 152,819. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD SEARS WILsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Puebla, State of Puebla, and Republic of Mexico,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Cars, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,in explaining its nature.

My invention relates to an improvement in convertible cars.

The object of my invention is to provide a basal or frame structure,which together with certain auxiliary parts makes the formation ofeither one of three kinds of freight-car easily attainable viz. theformation of a flatcar, a coal-car, or a box-car.

It is a further object of my invention to make such frame structure andall auxiliary parts of simple design and of common material which shallrequire no special making or preparation. At the same time it is mydesire to provide a structure that will in no way detract from thecapabilities which each one of the three kinds of freight-car beforereferred to should have, but even to increase their capabilities.

My invention consists, therefore, in the construction of such frame orbasal structure and combined auxiliary parts, the formation andcapabilities of which, together with Various incidents of construction,can best be seen and understood by referring to the drawings.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in plan showing the doubleconstruction of the framework. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of thecar when used as a dump-car. Fig. 3 is a view of the car in sideelevation when used as a flatcar. Fig. 4 is a view principally in crossvertical section to show the way in which the sides are attached to theinner sills and also the way in which a dump-car is converted into aflatcar. Fig. 5 is a detail view in plan of the car used as a dump-car.Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views, in vertical section, enlarged, to showthe relation of the said sills to each other and the manner of attachingthe sides to the inner sills. Fig. 8 is a view principally in sideelevation of the carwhen supplied with a roofed boxing attaching to theouter sill. Fig. 9 is a View principally in end elevation, a part of theend being broken out to show the interior construction.

Referring to the drawings, there is represented in Fig. 1 the basal orframe structure by which my invention is primarily obtained. Itcomprises a double frame embodying the double side sills A A, the doubleend sills A A the center sill A, while A represents a series ofintermediate cross-bars which help brace the frame and offer across-support for the flooring of the car, as will hereinafter appear.

The outside rectangular sill structure comprised of the sill-bars A A AA is made separate from the interior rectangular sill structurecomprising the sill-bars A A A A The respective rectangular structures,however, are tied together by the beams or bars A, which extendtransversely beneath them, and they also are preferably so connectedwith the car-trucks that both sill structures may be supported andbraced by them, as by truckbars A. The practical effect of thisconstruction is that the outer sills and the transverse bars or beams Aform the main part of the frame structure and that they hold and supportthe inner sills and their cross-bars.

The double sills along the sides of the frame are made up ofchannel-bars with their smooth sides facing each other and their flangesrespectively outwardly and inwardly projecting. The bars are spaced,wherefore the double sill is obtained, each sill to have its peculiaradaptability, as will hereinafter appear. It is to be noted that theouter sill-bars A A are made to extend a little higher than do the innersill-bars A A, which feature of construction may be obtained by simplyusing a larger size of channel-bar. The double end sills A A A A joinwith their corresponding side sills, so as to leave between them thesame relative amount of space as between the side sills. The outside endsill-bars A A may be made as channel-bars; but they are preferably maderectangular in shape, as shown, in order to have a greater rigidity andstrength. The inner end sills are made of channel-bars with theirflanges projecting inwardly, sothat the two sill-bars A and A are leftwith smooth sides facing each other or lining the space between them.The inside end sill-bars A A are made so as not to extend quite so highas the outside end sillbars and in this particular correspond with thebars forming the double side sills.

The center sill A is an I-bar, and the crossbars A are commonrectangular bars possessing any suitable degree of strength.

Especial reference is thus made to the structure of the various barscomprising my frame for the purpose of showing that it may be made up ofcommon kinds of bar easily attainable.

By thus making my frame structure, and particularly with reference toits double-sill formation, I am enabled to easily construct any one ofthe three kinds of freight-car before referred to.

In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown the adaptability with which my new form offrame structure can be applied to the formation either of a coal-car ora flat-car and to the facility by its use with which the one kind of carcan be converted into the other.

Referring first to Fig. 2, where the coal-car is shown, there arerepresented the sides a a and ends a a, which help form the carryingbodyof the car and are hinged, respectively, to the interior side and endsill-bars A A, respectively. These sides and ends are shown as madeofsheet or rolled metal, and they are united at the respective corners ofthe car in any suitable manner, as by outside and inside angle-pieces aa, respectively,which are crossbolted together. Pivoted to extend upfrom the spacing between the double side sills A A are the stake-postsa", which support the sides a a. As shown, the posts'a are pivoted toaxial pins (0 which are secured to extend transversely across the bottomedges of the respective sills. The flooring of the car A is best made ofsheet or rolled metal laid over the cross-bars A in any suitable way,but so as to provide for the dumps or side chutes a, which extend fromthe center of the car, where they are secured to the I-beam A*,downwardly and lateral] y to the sides thereof. The side openings ofthese chutes are controlled by doors 6/, which swing outwardly, and thecapability of these chutes are materially increased by reason of thefact that their outwardly-swinging doors can be hinged to the outer sidesill-bars A, as at a (see Fig. 4,) so that the length of the chutes canbe appreciably increased and they accordingly be made to discharge theirload some considerable distance beyond the tracks. The practicability ofsuch an arrangement needs no further comment. The coal-car being so madecan be converted into a flat-car, like-as shown in Fig. 3, simply byturning down the stake-posts (0*,

,which support the sides of the car, and then turning the sides a (a andends a a of the car in over the bottom thereof, any attachments by whichthese parts are temporarily secured together of course being firstmoved. The stakeposts are turned down to lie horizontally within thespace between the sill-bars, which efiect is obtained by reason of theirpivotal jointure to and between the same, and such capability of thedouble-sill construction is especially to be noted, whereby the spacebetween the side bars can thus be utilized to form ahousing, as it were,for the stake-posts when they are turned down. The sides a a and ends aa of the carrying-body of the car are turned to lie horizontally overthe bottom thereof by reason of their hinged jointure a with theinterior side and end sills. Naturally the ends a, a would be turneddown first and then the sides, so that a smooth even flooring orplatform for the flat-car would be obtained. In this connection it is tobe observed that the top surface of the flooring of the car thus formedby the inturned sides thereof lies even and is coextensive with the topsurface of the exterior side and end sill-bars. This effect is obtainedby so graduating the height of the interior side and end sill-barsrelatively to the exterior side and end sill-bars that when the sidesand ends a a a a, respectively, are turned down their thickness,together with the amount taken up by their hinged jointure with therespective interior side and end sill-bars, will bring the top surfaceof the sides when turned down level with the top surface of the exteriorside and end sill-bars, so that a perfectly level flooring is obtained.The spacing left between the double sills is covered by a portion of thesides and ends when they are turned. As may be seen in Fig. 4, the sidesand ends are so hinged to the interior sill-bars A as to leave a portion(0 thereof to extend down alongside said sill-bars within the spacebetween them and the outside sill-bars. The extent of this portion (0measured from the pivotal point of its hinged turning, is equal to thespace which separates said point of turning from the exterior sidesill-bars,wherefore the effect is obtained that when the sides and endsare turned down over the bottom of the car these portions thereof willturn up, and so will cover the intermediate left be tween the sills,wherefore the flooring obtained by the turned-down sides is coexten sivewith the top surfacing of the outside sills.

In Figs. 6 and 'Z a modification is seen in the fact that instead of thesides and ends being hinged to the respective interior end and sidesill-bars they are bolted thereto in the manner indicated by bolts (oand angle-irons a and in changed position, depending as the side or endis in an upright or turned to lie in a horizontal position. The hingedmethod of jointure is the one to be preferred, however. A flat-car thusformed possesses a platform or bearing-surface of relatively large area.The sides and ends close down n such a way as to protect the hingedparts, if such be employed, by which their convertibility is obtained.The exterior sill structure also helps protect these parts and offers aperfect bulwark to shield the car all around its edge.

In Figs. 8 and 9 my improved frame structure and auxiliary parts areshown applied to the formation of a box-car, which formation is obtainedby supporting a box-body A upon the exterior side and end sills A A A Athe rest of the structure remaining the same, and it is especially to benoted that the box-body can thus be mounted without interfering in anyway with the convertible features of the car just referred to, for thesides a a and ends a a may well be turned up, as shown in Fig. 9,especially if thebox-car be used to carry coal or such like substance,as is sometimes done. As a matter of convenience it might be well tomake the sides a a in three parts, so that an intermediate portion mightbe turned down in order to provide suitable sidedoor openings, as iscommon with box-cars. The more practical way, however, is to turn downthe sides and ends a a a a, as shown in Fig. 3, when a perfectly levelfloor is given the box-car and its normal structure is obtained. Thebox-body A may be secured to the exterior sills in any suitable manner,as by the interposition of angle-pieces a.

A car structure such as I have described is of the greatest utility. Forexample, in the building of new road-beds with its box-body the car. canbe used to carry provisions or materials requiring special protection.Then with its box-body removed and with the coalcar formation the carcould be used to carry the fill of dirt or ballast and with its dumps orchutes extending well out from the tracks could place the same wheremost needed. Then in a very short time and with very little trouble thecar could be transformed into an ordinary flat-car to carry rails andties.

Of course the car would be equipped with the usual brakes and couplingsand would be of the standard size used on railroads.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a car of the characterspecified, a frame having double sets of side and end sills, a roofedbox construction attached to the outer set of sills and convertiblesides and ends attached to the inner set of sills to form when foldeddownward a flat flooring for the car.

2. In a car of the character specified, a frame having a set of outerside and end sills, bars running transversely beneath and connectingsaid set of side sills, an inner set of side and end sills supported bysaid transverse bars and spaced from the exterior set of sills, andcross-bars connecting said interior set of sills.

3. In a car of the character specified, a frame having double sets ofside and end sills, sides and ends for the carrying-body of the carsecured respectively to the interior set of side and end sills, and sothat said sides and ends may be held vertically or have a horizontalposition to lie over the bottom of the car, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

4:. In acar of the character specified, a frame having double sets ofside and end sills spaced to lie apart from one another, and theinterior set of which sills is made of less height than the exterior setof sills, sides and ends for the carrying body of the car secured tosaid interior set of side and end sills, and means for securing the saidsides and ends whereby they may be changed from a vertical to assume ahorizontal position to lie flat over the bottom of the car and at thesame time close the spacing between the double sets of sills,substantially as and for the purposes set forth. v

5. In a car of the character specified, aframe havingdouble sets of sideand end sills spaced to lie apart from one another,.and the interior ofwhich set of sills extends to a lesser height than the exterior set ofsills, sides (m, and ends a a hinged respectively to the interior set ofsills so that said sides and ends may be turned from a vertical toassume a horizontal position to lie in over the bottom of the car, andsimultaneously to close in the space between the double sills whereby aneven surfacing coextensive with the top surfacing of the outside set ofsills is obtained, substantially as described.

6. In a car of the character specified, aframe having double sets ofside and end sills, sides and ends for the car-body secured to therespective interior set of side and end sills, and so that they may bechanged from a vertical position to assume ahorizontal position turnedin over the bottom of the car, and stakes pivoted to extend up fromwithin the spacing between the sill-bars, whereby said stakes may beturned to assume ahorizontal position between the same, substantially asdescribed.

7. A car of the character specified having one or more chutes openingthrough the bottom and extending laterally to the side or sides of thecar, and convertible sides and ends adapted when in one position toclose in over to cover the entire bottom of said car forming a floortherefor and covering the entrance to said chutes and when in anotherposition,

turned up, are adapted to form the sides and ends of said car.

8. A car of the character specified having double sets of side sills,chutes opening through the bottom of the said car and extendinglaterally to the sides thereof, outwardly-opening doors to said chuteshinged to the exterior set of side sills, and sides hinged to theinterior sets of sills adapted to close in over the bottom of the carclosing the entrance of said chutes, substantially as described.

9. The car herein described, the same having an outer frameworkcomprising sills and cross-bars suspended from the sills, an innerflooring for the same covering the chutes and framework consisting ofsills and cross-bars pernianentfloorlng'anda roofed box construcmountedupon the cross bars of the outer tion attached to the outer framework.

framework, chutes and a permanent flooring HOWVARD S. WILSON. upon eachside thereof, supported by the inner Witnesses:-

frainework, sides attached to the inner frame- HENRY A. WELCH,

work to form when folded downward a flat 1 CLIFFORD K. ROBINSON.

